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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27446092">Away Game</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnicornAffair/pseuds/UnicornAffair'>UnicornAffair</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Emma Gomez-Hart [30]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Power Rangers (2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:34:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,227</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27446092</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnicornAffair/pseuds/UnicornAffair</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Kimberly gets caught up at work, it's up to Trini to go to an away game to support their daughter....only she wasn't expecting freaking Rita of all people to tag along.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kimberly Hart/Trini, Rita Repulsa &amp; Trini</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Emma Gomez-Hart [30]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1281236</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Away Game</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I just felt such a surge of energy today.....hoo boy JOE DID IT. I wanted to put something out there with all the positivity and weight lifted off of my chest. Sooo some EGH it is :D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Emma would only be playing basketball for a short period of her life. As parents, Kimberly and Trini promised that they would see as much of her playtime as possible. Two years of middle school, as well as the potential for four years in high school, however long Emma </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted</span>
  </em>
  <span> to play, her moms would be there to support her. Home games, away games, tournaments, Kimberly and Trini sacrificed nights and weekends cheering on their number 15. </span>
</p>
<p></p><div class="phone">
  <p class="messagebody">
<span class="header">Kimberly</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">Work is running late. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to the game</span><br/>
</p>
</div><p>
  <span>Trini’s heart felt like it sank after reading that text message. With Kimberly working downtown San Diego it was hard for her to make the trip back in time. Home games at Eastland Academy were much easier to pull off in the time crunch, but away games, those were the harder ones for her. As much as she wanted to watch Emma play, sometimes work had to come first. Their daughter understood. Those were the days that fell to Trini to be the one in the stands to represent the Gomez-Hart family. </span>
</p>
<p></p><div class="phone">
  <p class="messagebody">
<span class="header">Kimberly</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">Don’t worry babe. I’ll tell you all about it tonight :)</span><br/>
<span class="text">Drive safe!</span><br/>
<span class="breply">Good luck in your meeting, love</span><br/>
</p>
</div><p>
  <span>Trini wore her favorite Eastland Academy navy basketball spirit wear shirt, with a grey and white logo on the front, this high school teacher was ready to go. The Eastland Sharks were taking on the Hawthorne Huskies out in Silver Hills tonight, so the drive was a bit of a hike. Not a problem at all, Trini actually could look forward to the time alone in the car to reflect and have full control over the road trip playlist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh good I caught you, I call shotgun” None other than day ruining neighbor Rita Moran was standing at the passenger door of Trini’s car. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The game” Rita started to pat the top of the car, “Unlock the doors, chop-chop. We gotta make good time” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trini was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> about to take a forty five minute drive with the one woman on this planet that drove her up the wall. She would rather spend an entire weekend with her mom than to be with Rita one on one for an hour. “Drive yourself”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s the fun in that?” Rita tilted her head, “What are we 15? I can give you </span>
  <em>
    <span>gas money</span>
  </em>
  <span> if that’s why your panties are in such a twist”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trini narrowed her eyes, when Rita was in a mood like this, sometimes it was just easier to go along with it. Taking the path of least resistance for her sanity. “You’re buying me snacks at the game”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Done” Rita snapped her fingers, “Hasta la vista lets go”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sigh, this was going to be a long night, “...That’s not what that…oh forget it” She shook her head unlocking the car doors to allow Rita into her vehicle. “This is my car and my rules and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The moment Trini had turned her car on, Rita had rolled down her window to get some fresh air into the car. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just…….don’t be annoying” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please” Rita rolled her eyes, she had no idea how hard it was to be around her. Trini didn’t even make it out of the driveway when her unwanted passenger started to change the music from Emma’s pop station to some rock n’roll station. Okay, so, she had better taste than her wife and daughter---maybe this wouldn’t be so </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> bad. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you hated basketball games” Out of the starting line up, which consisted of Emma Gomez-Hart, Hazel Landsdown, Hayley Park, Gia Moran and Serena Fernandez, Rita was the only parent with frequent absences. As a realtor, her schedule had to work around </span>
  <em>
    <span>others</span>
  </em>
  <span> schedules and it made for a good excuse to not be there as much as some of the other parents...but Trini knew that some of those house showings were all too conveniently lined up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh fuck I hate basketball games” Rita shook her head, “Oh they’re the worst, back and forth back and forth, the shoes on the gym floor drive me up the fucking wall” At least now the girls were in high school, they had graduated from their days as Eastland Dolphins-the 7th and 8th grade team. “Don’t get me started on how many days I’ve wasted on this sport.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> buy your daughter a basketball hoop”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only because her foul shots are shit if she doesn’t practice” Rita adjusted her seat back, not liking how Kimberly had it set up for herself. “I want Gia to be the </span>
  <em>
    <span>best. </span>
  </em>
  <span>When Serena graduates, I want her to claim that captain spot. Hazel can suck it, she’s got a golden path to everywhere and anywhere she dreams of.” With Hazel having her own </span>
  <em>
    <span>basketball court</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Rita buying a hoop for their driveway was her way to keep Gia competitive. “My girl’s gotta claw for everything she’ll ever get”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“..........You know </span>
  <em>
    <span>Emma</span>
  </em>
  <span> could be team captain”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ahhhhhhhh” Rita seemed </span>
  <em>
    <span>highly </span>
  </em>
  <span>doubtful of that outcome, “She’s too spineless” Realizing that probably wasn’t the </span>
  <em>
    <span>nicest</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing to say to one of two </span>
  <em>
    <span>mothers, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Rita corrected herself, “She’s too </span>
  <em>
    <span>nice.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hazel had the diplomatic skills to be a good captain, Trini could agree that Emma could be too soft spoken for her own good, especially for the sake of other people. “Does she even </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be captain?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think so” Really, with Emma getting more interested in photography and the yearbook, she was falling into different hobbies. She wasn’t like Serena Fernandez, the natural leader that focused all of her attention onto the team. Emma used basketball as a way to stay fit and conditioned, as well as keep up with her core group of friends. The sport was just for fun, something that would likely end when high school was over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, going to Hawthorne is important tonight” Rita rested her elbow on the open window, her hand under her chin for support, “And...I really need someone with me”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The teacher in Trini, the motherly instincts in Trini were starting to take over. Rita Moran didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>talk</span>
  </em>
  <span> like this, clearly her not giving a shit bravado was just a tough front. The house across the street was a twisted home where Rita went back and forth between trying to be a good mother, a strong not taking shit attitude role model for her daughter, to one who disregarded Gia completely for the sake of her selfish impulses. After all of these years of being neighbors, Trini and Kimberly had begrudgingly come to know many </span>
  <em>
    <span>many</span>
  </em>
  <span> different sides of the brunette. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...What’s going on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never said this before but...Hawthorne’s basketball coach is Gia’s dad”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thank god Trini had stopped at a red light because her knee jerk reaction was to shout, “WHAT!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rita had to put her hand over her mouth to quell the bubbling laughter rising and falling in her chest, “Oh that was too easy” She then pointed to the light, “It’s green” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jesus </span>
  <em>
    <span>Christ, </span>
  </em>
  <span>that’s not funny!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure it is! You didn’t see the look on your face” The older woman tossed her head back, the laugh now turning to a cackle, “You dumbass really believed that too, oh my god”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Ha ha…” Trini felt her heart racing in her chest, but did her best to laugh it off. Rita was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> unpredictable to her that she couldn’t tell whether or not she was telling the truth or not. “Do you have...</span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> idea on who Gia’s father is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not a fucking clue” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like many of the private schools in Eastland’s division, Hawthorne Academy had amazing facilities due to tuition, donations, the list could go on and on at how places like these benefited. As a teacher, Trini would silently judge and take mental notes on how these places appeared--how they compared to their home base. She felt a sense of pride representing Eastland, and Headmaster Udonna’s choices. Every away game they could take home with a win---oh it felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unlike Eastland Academy, Hawthorne was an </span>
  <em>
    <span>all girls school, </span>
  </em>
  <span>so the attendance to the basketball games had a high student population as well the friends and families of the home team. Hawthorne was the top of the division, all girls school athletic programs were top notch, they were the team to beat. Thankfully the away team had their own area on the other side of the court where they could sit behind Eastland’s bench and watch the game with a premium view. Far from the bellowing loud restless student section. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trini and Rita stopped for boxes of popcorn and drinks before entering the gymnasium and finding their navy and grey school colors. Trini called their parenting squad the </span>
  <em>
    <span>shiver of sharks, </span>
  </em>
  <span>as an English teacher, she was very astute to know what a group of </span>
  <em>
    <span>sharks</span>
  </em>
  <span> were called. With these girls being friends for so long, the parents had plenty of time to get to know one another and become friends as well. Basketball tournaments left for travel, sometimes even hotel, they spent long hours sitting on the sidelines and cheering on their girls. Mike Fernandez, Serena’s father, was the one to set up a sleepover rotation; one where every two weeks the basketball girls would go to a different host's house for a night. It was a way for the girls to bond as teammates as well as giving each parent a little bit of a break. Since Rita didn’t want much to do with that, most of her weekends were just doubled on to Kimberly and Trini. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What Trini looked forward to the most when it came to these basketball games, was sitting up with the other parents and checking in on them. Through their kids, the adults were able to bond and build friendships of their own. In the front row sat proud father Mike Fernandez and his wife Emily with their youngest child Brody sitting behind them taking the opportunity to look up from his phone to say a hello to Trini and Rita. On Emily’s other side sat Aisha Landsdown and her wife Summer. Emily and Aisha were also teachers at Eastland Academy, but at the elementary building, professionally their paths didn’t cross with Trini’s, here that didn’t matter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hayley’s parents Tanya Park-the famous radio personality and her husband Adam sat a couple rows behind. Tanya’s spirit wear and support for the Sharks were always covered in a silver sparkle ink, or rhinestones. She was the volunteer parent that would get the girls to their local screen printer to make sure that the Eastland Sharks had their t-shirts, hoodies, bags, anything that they wanted. Out of the two, she was the talker among the parents while Adam had his video camera in hand trying to do his best to capture the game to make copies for every one later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trini and Rita settled around the two parents that Trini felt like she connected with the most---Jason and Billy Cranscott, aka Shelby’s dads. Ever since Shelby joined the Dolphins during Emma’s eighth grade year, Trini and Kimberly felt like the ones to welcome the new family into the shiver. While the two were disappointed to see that Kimberly wouldn’t be joining them this night, they understood. Away games were always the most challenging to pull off. Coach Shiba’s wife’s attendance for games was very hit or miss with her profession.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here we fuckin’ go” Rita cracked her neck left to right, as if getting ready for war at the start of the tip off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like many basketball games in the past, it started off quick. The Eastland Sharks were outsized and outskilled by the taller Hawthorne Huskies. As parents, the group could only watch as their daughters were battling it out in the paint to keep in the game as the score only escalated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hey! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Three seconds!” Out of everyone sitting in the sharks stands, it was Rita who was standing up. “Hey you zebra coated bastard! Where’s your glasses?” Her arm extended out to the court, “She’s all over her!” Gia and the girl she was defending, were getting rough with one another. Trini could agree...something had to be called.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rita…” Trini sighed, shrinking down in her seat wasn’t helping, people could still see that she was seated next to the crazy lady screaming. “Sit </span>
  <em>
    <span>down” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>For someone who didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>like</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to these basketball games, Rita was getting heated, her competitive drive starting to kick in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you see this?” Rita looked over to Jason and Billy, “They call Shelby on a double dribble but how many steps did that girl get to have on her drive?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trini had a competitive drive of her own, and Kimberly wasn’t here to hold her hand, or get her a drink or tell her to take a walk when she got heated. She was here representing Eastland, a respected teacher, a faculty member. Oh, oh, but these Hawthorne Academy students were getting under this mama’s skin. Hearing the taunting </span>
  <em>
    <span>airball, airball, airball</span>
  </em>
  <span> every time Emma even touched the ball was targeting her daughter specifically. A head game. Rita was only fanning the flames that were burning inside.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A girl on the Huskies had the ball and was going in fast for a layup. Knowing the right defensive move, and being the only one there, Emma was the one to get in position to take a charge. Emma wasn’t built tough like Gia, Serena, hell-even Hayley became a champ at trying to get the offensive foul called. Trini winced when her soft teenage daughter hit the hardwood of the court. The whistle had blown---a </span>
  <em>
    <span>blocking foul </span>
  </em>
  <span>was called on number #15 of the Sharks. On Emma. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh what!?” Now it was Trini who was standing, her arms raised, gesturing wildly, “Her feet were set! Call it fair!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bullshit! Bullshit!” Rita cupped her hands to amplify her voice over the jeers and cheers of the other student body. With the two of them piping up it was enough for the other parents of the shiver to start to boo as well. With the Sharks losing the game so far, and the fouls majority feeling lopsided these parents were starting to get restless. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was coach Shiba who had to turn around and give her team’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>parents</span>
  </em>
  <span> a warning glare, shaking her head in disappointment that they were acting this way. If they continued...there’d be consequences, technical fouls, and they couldn’t just give away chances for Hawthorne to score free points.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These fucking idiots” Rita grumbled reluctantly sitting down. “They’re practically </span>
  <em>
    <span>handing</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hawthorne the win”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With the restless parents, the girls were starting to play sloppier, more frustrated with each and every call against them. Hazel Landsdown had to take a seat on the bench for Shelby Cranscott to come in as point guard and try to make some magic happen. Gia Moran was nearing foul trouble before the half, so she was pulled out for Tori to strengthen the post and get someone in there with more height. They were down, but these Sharks were not out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing her daughter on the bench, Rita took it upon herself to walk down the stairs and lean on the rail. “Gia, hey, don’t let them get to you. These refs don’t know their head from their asshole” Realizing she caught the attention of one the scorekeepers, one that sent a dirty look her way, she cheekily waved in their direction. A smile so full of fake kindness that it was vile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ms. Moran, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lauren didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>like</span>
  </em>
  <span> giving out verbal warnings or getting involved with parents, but these girls were already under a lot of stress. “Step back”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trini thought she was doing </span>
  <em>
    <span>okay, </span>
  </em>
  <span>sure, she’s been known to have little outbursts when she felt that calls were unfair but she didn’t think she was being </span>
  <em>
    <span>crazy</span>
  </em>
  <span> or </span>
  <em>
    <span>unreasonable. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Parents do what they have to in order to make their voices heard. To her, it felt like the Hawthorne Academy girls were playing overly rough and not facing any consequences for it. Mike was starting to get a bit antsy over the contact with elbows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another whistle blow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Reach in foul, number 15, Eastland”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>KIDDING ME?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Now Trini was pissed, Emma was called for yet </span>
  <em>
    <span>another</span>
  </em>
  <span> foul. There was no way Rita was going to even </span>
  <em>
    <span>try</span>
  </em>
  <span> to stop the short woman from storming down the bleachers, “If you had another eye you’d be a damn cyclops! What the hell was </span>
  <em>
    <span>that? </span>
  </em>
  <span>You three have been the most incompetent biased losers I’ve ever...ugh... There’s a hometeam advantage and there’s some straight up dick-” Emma’s eyes went wide, never seeing her mom break down at a game like this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Trini could finish her tirade against the referees, Rita had thrown her popcorn box onto the court. It’s contents spilled all over the instant it popped onto the ground. The action interrupting the game instantly resulted in the whistle being blown against the Sharks stands, t-ing them up with a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two! Out of here! NOW” Oh telling Kimberly that she and Rita got </span>
  <em>
    <span>kicked out of the stands</span>
  </em>
  <span> was not going to be a fun one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rita draped a protective arm around Trini’s shoulders, flicking the refs off as she exited. “Knock ‘em dead Gia.” She told her daughter, who was sitting on the bench. Her words could barely be heard over the sea of purple cheering them on for getting kicked out, enthusiastically waving goodbye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell was </span>
  <em>
    <span>that?</span>
  </em>
  <span> You got us kicked out of the game!” Trini snapped at Rita as soon as they were in the lobby. She only yelled at the incompetence, but Rita took it a step further by </span>
  <em>
    <span>throwing something</span>
  </em>
  <span> onto the court. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> were going to make an </span>
  <em>
    <span>ass</span>
  </em>
  <span> out of yourself. You teach at Eastland, do you really want that to come back and bite you?” Rita rested her hands on her hips admitting that she threw the popcorn at the refs to protect Trini. “I’d do it again too, what fucking morons.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The worst!” The two women in navy blue couldn’t stand here forever, they weren’t going to be allowed in the gym, nor did they have to worry about driving the girls back home. That was what the bus was for, surely, one of the other parents could drop Gia and Emma back home. “Ugh, I can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>be</span>
  </em>
  <span> here anymore.” What Trini needed to do was let off some steam, what she would give to have a couple of minutes alone with those refs and chew them out proper. “I can’t just...</span>
  <em>
    <span>sit</span>
  </em>
  <span> out here and hear the game through the door” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Well...fuck it let’s leave then” Rita shrugged, Trini was right. Being around the game and not truly being able to </span>
  <em>
    <span>watch</span>
  </em>
  <span> it was pointless. “...You wanna get some onion rings right now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Greasy, fried, onion rings sounded like the perfect comfort food after going through </span>
  <em>
    <span>that.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“.....You know what, why not?” Trini was reluctant to spend any extra time with Rita when she didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to….but after this game, they could use the catharsis of indulging on something deep fried. “Let’s just get out of here”</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>Maybe Rita wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span> the </span>
  <em>
    <span>worst.</span>
  </em>
</p>
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